About Me

Me: My name is Catalina Alexandra Stan. I was also named Maria when I was baptize, to have a saint”s protection. This does not show up in the legal documents, though. You can call me Catalina, Cata, Cati, Cat, C., or even “Hey, You”.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: When and where were you born?

Me: I was born in May, 1987, in a city called Braila, in Romania.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Any brothers and sisters?

Me: Yes, an elder sister. Her name is The Bid Red Head Fox Ana-Maria. She is the person helping me with this blog and babysitting me :).

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Do you have any outstanding physical attributes?

Me: I have three moles on my belly and a few dozens more on my back that look like a constellation.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Which, would you say, are your three top qualities?

Me: It took me a while to figure them out and I am sure some would not even call them qualities. I hate being wrongly accused of something and being trashed out. I will move mountains in my defense. I fought nearly every time I felt an injustice was done to me, I argued with teachers, classmates, friends and even strangers on the street. I will name a second quality as being very particular about details. Some might say this is border to obsessive compulsive behavior. I simply like that the things I say, do and make to be what I believe is the right way. My way is not necessarily someone else’s way. The third quality is the fact that I get very creative when I set my mind on something, even when I lie :).

The Cats killed my Curiosity: How about your worst point?

Me: I am a little too impatient. I prefer things to happen now, than to have to wait for them.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: What is your greatest achievement?

Me: I am still searching.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: How about your biggest disappointment?

Me: I will not name my failed relationships as the biggest disappointment. Not even the fact that I am still one exam away to finish college. The fact that I suffered a stroke and became blind after is not my biggest disappointment either. The one thing that pains me the most is not being able to find my calling and being adrift.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: How was your childhood?

Me: Wonderful, but too short. My family and I had some rough times when growing up.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: What did you want to become as a child?

Me: I first wanted to be a Mom, then I wanted to be a successful rich lawyer, than I also wanted to be a VJ, actress, journalist and an advertising publisher. I didn’t become either.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: So, what are you doing now?

Me: I set my heart to live as a free spirit. I hate feeling tied up to a desk, to lands and properties. While struggling to make a point, I became infatuated with the arts and crafts, especially crocheting. As long as the things I make lay beautifully in front of me, I am happy. However, after the stroke, my crocheting was put on hold. Now, I write, well, to be more specific, I dictate. And I try to be some sort of inspiration for others.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: What do you like most about what you are doing?

Me: The fact that I am allowed to be myself. I don’t have to lie, cheat and steal. I don’t have to pretend to and duplicate my personality. I don’t have to beg. I do not get bored.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Who are your heroes?

Me: First of all, my mom, my dad, my sister and even our little Pufi, The Yorkie are my heroes. Benedict Cumberbatch is another one I respect. He has a great voice. Chester Bennington is the 6th one for putting me on track with decent music when I was 14. Holden Caulfield is the 7th one, he showed me that I wasn’t the only one feeling out of place and that it is Ok to be sad every now and then. Teresa Richardson, The Crochet Geek, is the 8th hero. She is the one who taught me a lot of my “Aha!” moments in crocheting. And Charlie McDonnell, just because :). And “L” form Death Note is my 10th hero. “L”‘s fans know why.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: How have you changed from the person you were?

Me: I don’t lie anymore, not to my family at least. Maybe, one of the most courageous moments of my life was when I had the guts to tell my parents and sister the truth about how I used to live my life. Sadly, the stroke changed me for the worst too. I panic more easily about little things. I am still scared about what tomorrow might bring, especially now that I know what tomorrow can bring.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Wait, wait, wait…Hold on a second! You keep talking about a stroke. What’s up with that?

Me: On the 1st of November, 2013, I cried a little too much and got sick. The doctors couldn’t do anything to help me, my condition got worse and my brain was filled with small clots that eventually lead to a stroke. The stroke affected most of my senses: I became blind, deaf, I couldn’t smell or taste anymore. If you want to know more about what happened, you should read my posts.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Sounds like you had an awful time. Do you remember being happy at all throughout your life?

Me: Yeah!…Life has not been easy for me. However, there is one sweet childish memory that still holds a special place in my heart. As kids, we used to live in the lively neighbourhood called Progresu, Braila. I had a very good friend who was a year younger than me. During one summer, every time it rained, we would go out and run in the rain. Everyone around us were running all over the place to find shelter, or taking their umbrellas out to cover themselves. We would run, spin in the rain and feel the drops of rain touching our cheeks, our skin. Our hair and clothes were dripping wet and it felt so good that we actually screamed at the top of our lungs: “We are FREE!” We couldn’t care less about the cold that we would get after, we only cared about the moment.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: So, what is the purpose of this blog?

Me: It mainly helps me to kill some time, stops me feeling paralyzed with fear that pins me to the bed, takes my mind of the thought that I might never see again, …and mostly not to lose my mind.

The Cats killed my Curiosity: Would you like to give your readers a piece of advice?

Me: Go see a doctor once in a while. Take a blood test. Eat healthily. Exercise. Socialize with real people. Don’t belittle yourselves. If there is one thing you can learn from me, is that you can wake up one morning, feeling perfectly fine, and, by the end of the day, “puf” you are fine not anymore.

P.S.: If you have any questions, ask them away and I’ll give you honest, proper answers as long as the questions are not too rude and inappropriate.

Catalina will communicate with you through her sister, Ana-Maria. The comments on this site are public, but if you want to send a private message, you can do so to this email address suneblase@hotmail.com.

Catalina, I can kind of relate to your story. I have pretty much been a drifter since high school, too. Didn’t go to college because I didn’t know what I wanted to be, and didn’t want to go into debt trying to figure out a plan.

I am so sorry that this happened to you, Catalina. You are a very sweet and creative person, and with us being close in age (I’m 28, and will be 29 this August), I found you to be so much more relatable to me, despite of the fact that we’re countries away (I’m from the U.S.A.). Next to Mikey from the Crochet Crowd, you’re my favorite crochet teacher. I was really, really dishearten to hear about what happened to you.

I sincerely hope that you’ll get better. And as sad as you feel, please don’t give up hope. I know that you may have heard this a thousand times, and with each passing day, it might get difficult. But I urge you to keeping trying. I will continue to keep you in my thoughts, and I sincerely hope that you’ll make a full recovery. :^)

Catalina you are a beautiful person with a sweet, lovely calm voice. A few months ago I was looking for beginner crochet tutorial for the granny stitch and came upon your video. I just sat there and listened to your beautiful voice explaning the stitch. Tonight I watched the video of your sister explaining what has happened to you. I want you to know that I am praying for you and I will pray for your sight to be restored, I will pray everyday. God loves you. Please keep us updated on your health.

Hi! I have taught myself to crochet by watching you and a few others off youtube. I love your teaching videos!!!!!!!!!!! I was heartbroken to learn of your serious health crisis and I have prayed for you many times since! I miss your video uploads and I pray for you each time I think of you! Please keep us posted as to how you are doing…you gave me a gift, you helped me learn to crochet. Thank you! I do think of you often when I am watching an upload!
Be strong and take comfort in the fact that others do care about you and you are not alone.
Love – Renée Lanier, Sulphur, LA

Arts&Crafts Channel

Dear Reader,
I am Catalina, the person behind this blog. I am currently recovering after a stroke I suffered on the 1st of November, 2013. It left me nearly deaf for a while, and, sadly, completely blind at the moment. This blog is one of the things helping me not to loose my mind. You can read more in the About Me page. Many of you wrote to me and my sister and told us they would like to help. You can do so by grabbing our button bellow, uploading it onto your server and hard linking it on your website to http://catalinastan.com/. spread the word around and help us grow awareness about blindness.